US Politics, October 2019 — I guess statement you could say with thread. I made a thread. The thread was PERFECT.

These guys that stick around like Mulvaney and Pompeo, I always have to wiki their history to remind myself why they suck on their own and how it's likely they will hang on until the end.

wow.

US says Turkey agrees to a ceasefire in Syria

Vice President Mike Pence said at the news conference announcing a ceasefire in Syria that the United States will not impose further sanctions on Turkey as part of the agreement.

"Part of our understanding is that with the implementation of the ceasefire, the United States will not impose any further sanctions on Turkey," Pence said. "And once a permanent ceasefire is in effect, the President has agreed to withdraw the economic sanctions that were imposed this last Monday."

More background: On Monday, Trump said he was applying harsh new sanctions on certain Turki
sh officials. In a phone call with Turkish President President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Trump "could not have been more firm" in expressing his displeasure at the incursion, according to Pence, who updated reporters at the White House on Monday evening.

trump is so, so strong, so tough

turkey/syria is like a tv channel that he is trying to turn off. he's bored thinking about it

(note to future generations scanning this messageboard's history into their turbonanos: every single time i wrote something positive about donald trump, it was was written in extremely whiny sarcastic voice)

According to the details of the plan, the ceasefire will last until American television audiences have moved on to some other distraction. Sources indicated that this likely refers to the 97th season finale of "600-Pound Bachelorette Hoarder Dance-Off."

In related news, a third Trump Istanbul Tower has been approved....

"Listen Mr. Erdoğan, I'm displeased at this incursion. Very displeased. Do you know what this has done to my numbers? They're still great numbers, by the way, fantastic numbers! But, displeased, yes, very. And I'm not nice when I'm displeased, you get my drift? Not nice. Not nice."

The Trump family's brazenness runs on different lines than the Bush family brazenness. The Bushes grabbed at global power using the US military and were content to let the money roll in on its own, in the form of people who insisted on cutting them in on sweet deals like obscene speaking fees and sitting on a dozen corporate boards. How could they refuse?

“Today, we have agreed to a cease-fire in Syria,” Mr. Pence said, noting that there would be a five-day pause in military operations while the United States facilitated the withdrawal of the Kurdish-led Y.P.G. militia from affected areas in the safe zone.

“Once that is completed, Turkey has agreed to a permanent cease-fire,” Mr. Pence said.

In return, he said, President Trump agreed not to impose any further sanctions on Turkey, and to remove the economic sanctions that were imposed on Turkey last week once the permanent cease-fire took place.

it's going to be SHOCKING when it turns out the kurds don't leave the 20-mile buffer zone (that is in Syria) in five-days, resuming the war immediately while - SHOCKINGLY - not leading to the resumption of US sanctions, since the Kurds clearly violated the incredibly strong and intelligent peace deal

meanwhile, trump will get to watch an extra 90 minute of evening fox news, win-win

this is a great day for civilization

yes KM, the (interim) chair goes to Maloney

what else has happened today?

I don't exactly get why the G7 announcement is such big news. Haven't we known about this for a while? And hasn't Trump been using his properties this way since day 1?

― Mario Meatwagon (Moodles), Thursday, October 17, 2019 12:29 PM (fifty-four minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

Consider the scrutiny you would be under if the investigations into your (alleged!!!) extensive untoward behavior were headline news every single day. Might you, under those circumstances, make at least the barest attempt to deflect the charges levied against you, to appear a more upright citizen than much of the world believes you to be? Or would you flip a double bird at the cameras and say BRING IT MOFOS just before stripping naked and steering your dirt bike through the front window of an Arby's?

yeah but that night at arby's was the wildest night since

while - SHOCKINGLY - not leading to the resumption of US sanctions, since the Kurds clearly violated the incredibly strong and intelligent peace deal

Maybe T. needs to describe a line that Turkey cannot cross without repercussions. Perhaps that line could be designated red (the color of strength and winning, per U.S. election maps).

it should involve the use of chemical weapons, i'd say

the world should know that the use of chemical weapons is a "red line" that the United States of America will never accept

Maybe T. needs to describe a line that Turkey cannot cross

That should be Mr. T.

Trump's very into redlining, iirc.

Reactions to these developments have been quite cynical, I must say. Did you all miss the part where our leader brought Erdogan to heel by being very, very firm? I think, having faced such unprecedented firmness, Turkey has seen the error of their ways and won't chance eliciting such a firm response again.

One might be inclined to say that Turkey now finds themselves between Iraq and a firm place.

much firm

very wow

such strong

also I C. what you did there C. Grisso/McCain

OL,
Thing is, the way I would react to these scenarios is clearly radically different than how Trump would react. You would be correct to say that he's behaving in an utterly batshit manner, but he is also being 100% predictable. He's been telegraphing the G7 move for weeks and did exactly what was anticipated. Is it colossally corrupt and stupid? Sure. Is it surprising or shocking? Not really.

Why, when I try to picture Trump being firm with an incalcitrant world leader, do I picture MacGruber's stock reaction when he finds himself in hot water?

Turkish foreign minister sez there is no truce

maybe Pence met some fake Turks

I dunno why, exactly, Moodles, it just seems like an especially balls-out 'I genuinely do not give even a fraction of a fuck' move even for King Hamblob.

go on...

Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney indicated Thursday that the Trump administration held up military aid to Ukraine in part because officials wanted Kiev to investigate unproven election interference allegations linking the country to a Democratic National Committee (DNC) server.

“The look back to what happened in 2016 certainly was part of the things that he was worried about in corruption with that nation. And that is absolutely appropriate,” Mulvaney told reporters at the White House Thursday.

Mulvaney was referring to unsubstantiated allegations that Ukraine, and not Russia, was involved in the 2016 hack of the Democratic National Committee server.

Mulvaney denied that investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden were factored into considerations about releasing military aid to Ukraine.

When asked if what he described was a quid pro quo — withheld funding unless there was an investigation into the Democratic National Committee server — Mulvaney responded, "We do that all the time with foreign policy."

Istrumpbull not Constantinotruce

He doesn't give a fuck, yes, but he also has zero concept of how bad this all looks. He thinks being president is the no different than being king and sees the US as his personal ATM. All of his moves have been driven by short-sighted greed and stupidity, with no thought given to the impact it all has.

All of his moves have been driven by short-sighted greed and stupidity

You are forgetting about the moves driven by his yuuuge insecurity.

I mean, I do think he has some facility wrt trolling. When people have a bee in their bonnet about something he's done, he's very good at poking that bee, often with no concern for whether doing so will induce the entire rest of the hive to sting him into a coma.

A GOP committee source following Mulvaney’s press briefing: “His diatribe has blown up the Sondland interview—Democrats are referring to the transcript mid-interview. WTF”

— Alayna Treene (@alaynatreene) October 17, 2019

Haha, whoops!

Hope they are able to determine if there was a quid pro quo or not, and if it was a good or bad thing. Very hard to know, really.

if only someone would just spell it out

Hahah if THIS is the reaction.

Trump outside attorney Jay Sekulow to CNN: "The legal team was not involved in the Acting Chief of Staff's press briefing."

— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) October 17, 2019

Anyway, every Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee just voted to send Justin Walker's nomination to the Senate for a confirmation vote.

Carry on. https://t.co/fPLsJN75qn

— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) October 17, 2019

should we take bets on how long before Mulvaney gets fired/resigns

Or gets elected president.

Justin Walker is proudly sponsored by McConnell as a protégé, so he will be confirmed easily. No Senate Republican wants to step on Mitch's toes over some piddling lifetime judicial appointment of an unqualified nominee.

Mulvaney's presser kind of like when Fredo accidentally admitted he knew Johnny Ola

Perry tells president he's resigning, per administration official. Happened as POTUS headed to Perry's home state of Texas today https://t.co/Vas6sWSuxT

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) October 17, 2019

thought he had already resigned tbh

He had originally said eff Nov 1

CNN.com's front page header is "White House Admits Quid Pro Quo.

Goin hard on this one

Rep. Mark Meadows, one of President Trump’s biggest allies, said witnesses have not testified that the Ukraine aid was held up for investigations.

"The key today is to date every single witness, every single fact has not supported any pause or holdup on foreign aid being attached to any conditions — and that’s been consistent with every words we have heard from so far," he said.
Asked about Mulvaney’s remarks that the aid was tied to Trump’s wish for an investigation into the 2016 election, Meadows said: “I haven’t seen it. All I’ve seen is the headline. And I’m going to read the transcript”

Asked if he’s OK that Trump directed Gordon Sondland, US ambassador to the European Union, to talk to Rudy Giuliani, who was pursuing the investigations, Meadows said: “What I’m not OK with is adjudicating this based on half truths and partial statements.”

...and articles that everybody but you has read

Rick Perry Quit Pro Quo

https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/5da8d02f2100001715ad3211.jpeg

"Got yer nose, Mr. President! PS, I fucking quit."

"That's YOUR nose, Rick"

*bops Perry on head*

“The timeline will depend on the truth line,” Pelosi told reporters at the Capitol amid a busy day of developments.